Religion: Spread of, Sacred Spaces and Problems

Cosmogony The explanation of how the universe came into being  For most religions, this would be their creation story/myth  For non-religious people, this may include the Big Bang Theory or other scientific paths

Baha’i Universal Religion Belief in the unity of humankind, religions and God Syncretic – borrowing ideas from previously established religions  Prophets or messengers in Baha’i stem from Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Islam  See themselves as an extension of/purification of these other faiths  Accept teachings and beliefs of the major world religions

Baha’i, cont. Major beliefs- Daily prayer, no drugs or alcohol, only sex between a husband and wife (homosexuality and adultery are forbidden), gossip and slander are forbidden, no gambling Based on multiple teachers – In 1800s, an Iranian man who called himself the “Bab”was executed for claiming to be the messiah for Islam  A follower of his writings, Bahá'u'lláh, was the founder of Baha’i. Based his works on messages from God and teachings of the Bab.  Spread “the word of God” throughout Middle East and Africa  Faced much opposition in past and even today

Diffusion of Religion Hearths for 3 major universalizing religions – Buddhism, Christianity and Islam all surround the places of the birth of their respective founders  Christianity – SW Asia – Israel/Palestine  Islam – SW Asia – Saudi Arabia  Buddhism – S Asia - Nepal

Christianity’s Diffusion Initially - Relocation Diffusion Missionaries carried word to people of the Roman Empire Then - contagious diffusion  Contact between believers and non-believers Then - Hierarchical Diffusion  Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 313 CE  Declared empire’s official religion in 380 CE  Continued through hierarchical diffusion (conquest and colonization of Americas and Oceania) and relocation diffusion (missionaries to Africa and Asia today)

Islam’s Diffusion Hierarchical in beginning –spread by the sword in conquest of SW Asia and N Africa by Mohammed’s soldiers Modern spread through missionary work (relocation diffusion)

Buddhism and other Universalizing religions Buddhism – through relocation diffusion (missionaries) and hierarchical (adoption of Buddhism by empires of India) Baha’i – relocation diffusion (missionaries) and contagious (in local spread) Sikhism – Contagious and relocation diffusion (mainly in N. India’s Punjab region)

Holy Places and Sacred Spaces Holy Places – locations important for believers of a religion. May hold spiritual meaning or have played a role in the founder’s life.  Believers may make pilgrimages to these places  Examples: Wailing Wall, Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Mecca, Ganges River Sacred Spaces – Places of worship, burial sites, religious settlements

Sacred Spaces Muslims – mosques (temples) Jews – synagogues (temples) Hindus – temples Baha’i – houses of worship Buddhists – pagodas (for individual meditation, not congregations) Christians – Churches.  Varies by denomination  Protestant churches tend to be more ascetic while Orthodox and Catholic churches tend to be more ornate

Burial Sites In the Abrahamic religions, the dead are typically buried in a cemetery In Hinduism, the dead are usually cremated on a funeral pyre Water burial is common practice among island nations Tibetan Buddhists and Zoroastrians expose dead bodies to nature and allow scavenging animals and the elements take their toll

Religious Hierarchy Muslims, Hindus and Jews have no real central authority with each local group having autonomy Mormons have a structural hierarchy over territory in Utah. Church – stakes – wards Other Protestant groups vary Catholics bow to the authority of the Pope, but there are rankings below him:  Pope – Archbishops – Bishops(Diocese) – Priests (individual churches)  Similar set up in Orthodox church with the Patriarch being the head

Religious Wars Religion has led to and currently leads to a hotbed of issues politically worldwide  Major areas of contention today  Israel/Palestine  Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland  American Globalization/Muslim fundamentalism worldwide  Religious groups/communist or former communist countries